All the Park's a Stage

All the Park's a Stage. . From comedy to tragedy, opera to rock, acting classes to dance recitals, the performing arts have had a home in Centennial Park from the beginning., Concerts and theatrical events in the park are popular today, but before most homes contained a television or air conditioning, one could find entertainment here most days of the week , and usually for free. Beginning in 1903 and continuing for decades, families relaxed on shady lawns to socialize and enjoy a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, popular orchestra, or country act. A generational shift occurred in 1967, when twice-weekly easy listening performances gave way to rock concerts that attracted up to 150,000 young people at a time., Theatre and film are also Centennial institutions. The Nashville Shakespeare Festival has been performed here since 1982. Perhaps the most visually dramatic production in park history was a 1913 live performance that was filmed and released as a motion picture. The Fire Regained was written by Sidney Hirsch, one of Vanderbilt University's Fugitive writers. The Greek-themed play required the talents of nearly a thousand actors, hundreds of sheep, a thousand doves, and included a chariot race , all performed against the backdrop of the Parthenon. Less dramatic but more frequent were the silent films of the 1920s and later talkies. These movies attracted viewers to the relative coolness of Centennial Park on summer nights for an adventure serial, cartoon or western., For every opportunity to be in a Centennial Park audience, there has also been an opportunity to perform. Cultural arts programs, started in the 1920s, have given generations of Nashvillians the ability to express themselves through ballet and contemporary dance, instrumental music, singing, and acting. The Centennial Arts Activity Center contains dance studios, and rehearsal, audition and performance space. Resident performing artists have included the Centennial Youth Ballet, Theatre Parthenos, and the Centennial Recorder Consort.,